Happy Holiday everyone. Do you have any tradition on Christmas Eve in your family?

Our tradition is we make 13 different items.  That is a combination with fish, vegetables, and every dish you have on the table.

Italians have many different foods throughout Italy because they are different regions. The different regions have a little different culture and traditional foods.

For instance, my mom is  Calabrese, my aunts’ in-laws were Abbruzese as kids we ate the spaghetti on Christmas Eve with butter because the grown-ups ate it with anchovies. Not many kids like anchovies they are an acquired taste. My sisters’ family ate the spaghetti adding the water you made the spaghetti with and then some wine.

Now I have two little kids and I don’t make them eat fish but I do make them try the fish we make.  We usually make the kids eggs, peanut butter and jelly sandwich and pasta in butter.  They don’t mind not eating meat for one day.

Christmas Eve was just as important as Christmas day due to we were waiting for the birth of Jesus. Different variation of foods but the main idea is the same. Italians have the 13 items to represent the thirteen apostles.

I am not sure how or when it started, but I know traditions are a way to celebrate our heritage. My grandfather was very strict in passing the tradition of our Christmas. I think it was his way of keeping the family together on holidays. Hopefully our children will keep some of the traditions going. Change comes to all families and we learn embrace changes that come our way.

Once someone leaves their country and goes to new country they need to be able to adapt to new traditions that will come their way.